Only a few days ago we talked about the last absurd viral challenge among teenagers, the 'Desk Challenge', which consists of hanging a chair from the class rack and sitting on it with the desk on top.
The fall can cause severe consequences for the health of children. But there are even more dangerous ones, which can even cause death. Therefore, before the avalanche of these viral challenges, we have spoken with an expert in Technologies in children and adolescentsJorge Flores García, why explain to us why these 'games' hook our children and what parents can do to protect them.
Why do they attract teenagers?
Jorge Flores, director of Friendly Screens, which promotes the safe and healthy use of the Internet and other ICTs in childhood and adolescence, explains that although there are no studies on the reasons for viral challenges, there are four factors can be pointed out by which they get to hook our children:
The boys pursue the risk, a characteristic of age. They are not aware of the real danger.
The triumph of the culture of the exhibition and competition, to have followers and gain attention.
These viral challenges bring uniqueness, visibility and need for acceptance and they seek popularity.
In Babies and more Alert for 'the game of death' or the dangerous challenge in which teenagers drown until they lose consciousnessTeenagers have little empathy with what they see on the other side of the screen. It stays as if it were a movie, they see it as a distraction, without stopping to think about why it is done and the repercussions that this challenge generates in their environment.
The images that appear on a screen are normalized. That is why, as the challenges look online, they look like something normal, with a daily life that they don't have. They think: "It doesn't have to be wrong since it's done and it can happen without consequences."
How to protect our children from the challenges?
Jorge Flores recognizes that it is a complicated task, because it is difficult to detect signals and there are also no factors that predispose: "These are behaviors that are not repetitive and that are usually punctual, depending on what you are wearing."
Therefore, the best, explains the expert, is that parents work two protective factors with their children:
1. Development of self-esteem, which will strengthen them in their personal acceptance without resorting to the boys need to 'dope' with 'likes'. This way we reduce their need for acceptance by others.
2. Critical thinking. Help them to consider a criterion to approach things from different points of view.
In Babies and more, YouTube prohibits dangerous challenges involving minors and abusive jokes that cause emotional harm to childrenBut still, it is essential that parents (and also teachers) do not look the other way. If we detect any visible mark on the child's body, or changes in his behavior or school performance, we must talk to him to find the causes and address the problem.
The expert assures that it is understood that it is the job of the parents to supervise the activity of their children on the Internet through apps and parental control programs (always with their consent).
Letting them freely access the content published on the Internet could lead them to consume content that is inappropriate for their age, such as dangerous viral challenges or pornography, or being victims of cyberbullying.
But this measure does not work with older adolescents, since there is no specific surveillance for these types of challenges, to detect them and parents do not arrive on time:
"If they want to, they will do it, whether we want it or not. The supervisory capacity is very limited, they know how to hide their activities. Supervision is fine, but it is not easy to prevent them from participating or spreading viral challenges. In fact, they can record it with their mobile or that of another young man. It's impossible to control.
He adds that it works best to talk with our children about viral challenges and, if we see that they get their attention, we can see it as a sign that you can intervene in them and take the opportunity to give them our point of view.
"The most appropriate is to work with teenagers the two most global skills, development of their self-esteem and critical thinking, which can protect them and will be useful for a lifetime."This is stated by the director of Friendly Screens, which encourages parents to analyze these practices with their children and anticipate that they can see what to do is very attractive: "It's about being seen also with the eyes of his parents to change his attitude to the challenges."
He adds that it is clear that they will make their own interpretation and that of their peers. But not for that reason we must stop offering them our own alternative vision.
They must learn how to act, because not everything is acceptable
Jorge Flores explains that "Although the parents think otherwise, their children listen to them and in the end they have 'the chance' to think twice before getting involved in a viral challenge and even think about denouncing it if they find out that one is being done and that they can be dangerous. "
And he adds that this is where the paternal role is important: if you have internalized that there is a certain risk in these practices, that you understand that it is far from being a banality, that it will not be a sneak but to have empathy for people and that It has an ethical obligation to prevent it.
"Knowing how to protect and protect others is a necessary practice and that they can learn with our help."Teenagers should understand that fighting them is a sign of concern, of interest in peers and not a disconnection from their group. We must look for the positive approach.
In Babies and more The 'alphabet of the devil', the new viral challenge that has resurfaced in an institute of AsturiasThus, according to the director of Friendly Screens, when they witness or get a viral challenge to their phones, they can choose to:
Do not participate, do not distribute. That is, not giving it positive importance and not sharing it, not getting directly involved.
Try to generate a serious analysis of what is being done and what repercussions it can have. You can promote that debate, introduce it. "The kids are smart and able to analyze situations."
Communicate it to a close adult and trustworthy person, who can manage it more calmly and at a certain distance.
If the laws are being broken or the safety of a person is at risk, young people should inform the person they have on hand: the parents are usually the closest, but also the educational center and even the police. "You don't have to shake your hand, because a challenge can have fatal consequences", adds the ICT expert.
In fact, remember that the police have channels to report or warn that an illegal act is being committed anonymously, so that they investigate without giving the data, something crucial in the case of minors. "These are calls for help anonymously."
Jorge Flores points out that the context has changed regarding how we live adolescence, but also 'we made our challenges', although they were not so important nor did they have the repercussion they have now. But the goal is the same: "Help them develop their skills and criteria so that they enjoy themselves and know how to act without dramatizing when facing possible challenges."
And he gives us one last warning: if we want to protect our children, we can delay the purchase of their first mobile, "Because unintentionally we are giving them the tool when they may not yet be mature enough."
Education in a responsible use of ICT is key, not only to not fall into the spell of these types of challenges, but not to continue spreading them.
In Babies and more The police warn again about 'Momo' and asks parents to control the videos their children watchPhotos | iStock
